Theology Nerd Throwdown

Taylor Swift, Bach, and the Death of Mainline Protestantism


Listen Later

What is up, Theology Nerds? Bo and I kicked off this week's episode from my pop-up ice fishing tent in 39-degree rain—complete with my new "professional lighting" that makes it look like I'm telling ghost stories—because that's just how we roll. We dove into our Spotify Wrapped numbers (156% audience growth, baby!). We discovered that our listeners are simultaneously jamming to Taylor Swift, Bach, and Bob Dylan while devouring Jen Hatmaker and Dan McClellan audiobooks. After a spirited throwdown over whether you should sing Christmas songs before Christmas Eve (spoiler: the liturgical fundamentalists are losing the war on Advent), Tripp unleashed an AI-generated slam poetry performance comparing process theology to Calvinism that may have broken something in all of us. Then we got into the real stuff—why so many evangelicals have never encountered liberation theology, why institutional reform feels impossible (hint: systems are designed for the outcomes they produce, not accidentally broken), and why trying to change the church from within is like sawing off the branch you're standing on from the wrong side. We wrapped with some announcements about Theology Beer Camp 2025 in Kansas City and my usual plea: read the red letters, people.

You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube

 

Sign up HERE to stay up to date on Theology Beer Camp 2026 & get EARLY ACCESS to the cheapest tickets.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UPCOMING ONLINE ADVENT CLASS w/ Diana Butler Bass⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join us for a transformative four-week Advent journey exploring how the four gospels speak their own revolutionary word against empire—both in their ancient context under Roman occupation and for our contemporary world shaped by capitalism, militarism, and nationalism. 

Advent marks the beginning of the church year—an invitation to step out of the empire's time and into God's time, where the last are first, the mighty are scattered, and a child born in occupied territory changes everything.

This course invites you into an alternative calendar and rhythm. While our modern world races through December toward consumption and productivity, Advent calls us to a different time—a counter-imperial waiting, a subversive hope, a radical reimagining of how God enters the world. What will we experience? Each week, we'll hear one gospel's unique vision of the birth narrative, allowing Matthew, Luke, John, and Mark to speak in their own voices about what it means for God to show up when empires think they're in control. We'll discover how these ancient texts of resistance offer wisdom for our own moment of political turmoil, economic inequality, and ecological crisis. This class is donation-based, including 0. You can sign-up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.HomebrewedClasses.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


This podcast is a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Homebrewed Christianity ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠production. Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theology Nerd Throwdown⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Rise of Bonhoeffer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 70,000other people by joining our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack - Process This!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get instant access to over 50 classes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.TheologyClass.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow the podcast, drop a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, send ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback/questions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠member of the HBC Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Theology Nerd ThrowdownBy Dr. Tripp Fuller & Rev. Bo Sanders

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

106 ratings


More shows like Theology Nerd Throwdown

View all
Homebrewed Christianity by Dr. Tripp Fuller

Homebrewed Christianity

563 Listeners

Dear Hank & John by Complexly

Dear Hank & John

7,742 Listeners

The RobCast by Rob Bell

The RobCast

4,188 Listeners

Word of Life Church Podcast by Pastor Brian Zahnd

Word of Life Church Podcast

319 Listeners

OnScript by Matthew Bates, Matthew Lynch, Erin Heim, Dru Johnson, Amy Brown Hughes, & Chris Tilling

OnScript

618 Listeners

The Holy Post by Phil Vischer

The Holy Post

4,428 Listeners

Greg Boyd: Apologies & Explanations by ReKnew.org

Greg Boyd: Apologies & Explanations

416 Listeners

The Bible For Normal People by Peter Enns and Jared Byas

The Bible For Normal People

3,289 Listeners

The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg by The Dispatch

The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

6,595 Listeners

Religion on the Mind by Dan Koch

Religion on the Mind

536 Listeners

Language of God by BioLogos

Language of God

463 Listeners

Advisory Opinions by The Dispatch

Advisory Opinions

3,906 Listeners

Turning to the Mystics with James Finley by Center for Action and Contemplation

Turning to the Mystics with James Finley

1,841 Listeners

The Bulletin by Christianity Today

The Bulletin

554 Listeners

Everything Belongs: Living the Teachings of Richard Rohr Forward by Center for Action and Contemplation

Everything Belongs: Living the Teachings of Richard Rohr Forward

654 Listeners